As most people probably know at least in outline, there have been violent protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square since last Friday.

35 people are dead as of the latest count and the heavy-handed tactics of the police have turned what started out as relatively small political demonstration, into something approaching a popular uprising with 50,000 people or more occupying Tahrir Square.

It all started over attempts by the military to retain special powers even after Parliamentary elections and over the refusal by the military to set a date fro Presidential elections.

The military is now back-pedaling furiously after their unelected cabinet of technocrats resigned en masse and they're talking about some sort of national unity government.

@sneak046 - would that be on Five Live Drive? The presenters on that are some of the most clueless people on the planet. Every single science story they do it's all 'oooh, this is a bit complicated for me, why would anyone be interested?'

And here in Amsterdam, The Cannabis Cup Expo has just been raided by large numbers of Police. Frightening the bejaysus out of a mass of very stoned tourists, who have been removed from the venue while all the people working there have been kept locked inside pending... I'm not sure what. Slightly concerned as my girl is working there promoting the Roor glass entry. Hope to hear more soon.A great example of how Dutch society is continuing to race away from its history of tolerance and back towards its even older, less pleasant histories.